A Changing of Ways
by Iftheycandoitwhynotus
Summary: The battle of Hogwarts has not long ended, and Harry and Hermione are left to decide where to go. Not long are they waiting however before a letter arrives stating all students are to return to Hogwarts for a repeat seventh year. But Draco Malfoy is on the list, and the former death eater returning worries Hermione; why has be been allowed back with no repercussions from the war?
1. A second chance

A Changing of Ways

Author's note: This is my first story, I have done the first couple of chapters so please let me know if you like it and I will carry on writing!

Disclaimer: I do not own anything except the plot. J.K Rowling owns all Harry Potter, sadly.

The war had ended, and along with it the longstanding entrapment and fear felt by those at Hogwarts had been vanquished. Students returned to their families in order to gain peace and make sense of all that had happened. Hermione Granger's parents returned from Australia of their own accord, yet she knew their memories of her still ceased to exist. She, along with Harry Potter, found that she had nowhere left to call home.

The Weasley's had left soon after Voldemort's death, in order to deal with their grief over loosing Fred. Ron had felt bad about abandoning Hermione, but she convinced him to go and be with his family. Harry also had no family left to stay with, not that he hadn't had offers from people. Everyone wanted a piece of the boy who lived, but he instead chose to spend his time relaxing with his best friend, for which Hermione was grateful.

One night in the Gryffindor common room, (which remarkably remained unscathed by the battle) Hermione turned to Harry and laughed suddenly.

"What on earth are we to do now Harry?" He turned and smiled at her.

"I honestly have no idea, but it sure as hell beats looking for horcruxes and worrying that the people we love are going to die all the time."

"True enough I guess," she laughed.

"Do you miss Ron?" he asked curiously.

"I… yeah of course I do, I hope they're all okay at The Burrow," She said quickly to cover the knot of guilt she felt in her stomach.

"Hermione…" Harry knew her well enough to know when she was hiding something. Hermione exhaled deeply, ready to tell him all about her true feelings about Ron, and her guilt that their kiss in the Chamber of Secrets seemed to mean a lot more to him, than it did to her. However just as she opened her mouth to speak, a loud tapping sounded against the window beside her. Both Harry and Hermione almost jumped out of their skin, and Hermione quickly opened the window to let the large barn owl inside. It swooped elegantly over to Harry, dropped two thick envelopes in his lap, and flew straight out again. He turned one of the letters over to reveal the Ministry of Magic symbol.

"Weird…" he said slowly.

He tossed Hermione the one addressed to her and she ripped it open, intrigued.

The letter read:

Dear Miss Granger,

Due to circumstances during the war I am aware that you were unable to attend your final and most important year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Over the summer we plan to renovate the school and hope to reopen September 1st, as usual term resumes. It has been made compulsory for all students in your year to attend, including those who attended their seventh year while the school was under the control of Severus Snape. We hope to give you another chance to take and achieve the N.E. of your choosing, in order to proceed into the Wizarding World as you would like. Below is the list of students who will be repeating/ retaking their seventh year.

Yours Sincerely,

Kingsley Shacklebolt

Minister for Magic

Hermione finished the letter and squealed in excitement. "Oh Harry this is fantastic! Back at school again with all our friends, just like it should have been! Oh the new classes, the books, the library, just think about how much we'll get to learn! I have to start preparing, I need quills and potion ingredients, and I have to start studying!" She swirled around on the spot in happiness.

"Studying?!" Harry said in disbelief. "Hermione, you don't even know what classes you're taking yet!" he laughed. For the first time in days he felt weightless; they would all be returning to Hogwarts together. This war had aged them, but now they all had a chance to have fun again with each other, and live uninhibitedly again for one more year. They would be united, and strong enough to help each other deal with the horrors of their pasts.

Hermione scanned the letter further, until she reached the name of a student on the returns list which made her frown. Her eyebrows mashed together in anger as she contemplated the outrageousness that he be allowed to return.

Draco Malfoy would also be attending the repeat seventh year. It appeared as though both Lucius and Narcissa had thrown every last galleon and excuse at the ministry to keep their son out of Azkaban. As Draco never actually fought in the battle, and his whereabouts throughout the whole thing were unknown, no proof actually existed that he took part. It infuriated Hermione that the Ministry had been successfully bribed into overlooking the foul mark on Malfoy's arm and bypassed the fact that for a short time he had acted in the role of a Death Eater.

"Malfoy's coming back too" she spat. Harry looked up at the viciousness in her voice.

"Yeah I saw that" he said slowly. He eyed her closely which did not go unnoticed by the brightest witch of her age.

"What? Its completely ridiculous, do you not think, to let him come back here after everything he's done?" she glared at Harry.

"Well…it's just… I mean Malfoy was never that bad Hermione. I mean sure he said some pretty awful stuff, but deep down he could never really carry out all the shit the Death Eaters could. He couldn't kill Dumbledore, he didn't fight in the battle…" he trailed off at the incredulous look on her face.

"What?!" she shouted.

"Look, the end of this war was about righting wrongs and finding peace. Malfoy is a foul piece of shit and a coward Hermione, but he never actually tried to kill anyone! He might regret all he's done- the Ministry obviously thinks so!"

"You're seriously telling me you're trusting the judgment of the ministry now?" she asked, eyebrows raised.

"I don't know" Harry squirmed. "Maybe we should just give him a second chance that's all I'm saying. Please Hermione I want this year to be fun, not ruined by the likes of Draco Malfoy".

"Okay, whatever, we should go to sleep though Harry its half past one". Normally she would have argued but Hermione's bed was calling, and she wasn't about to miss sleep over Malfoy of all people.

"Sure in a minute" he replied.

Harry watched her stomp slightly up the staircase to the girl's dormitories. Hedwig perched sleepily in the corner of the common room and Harry watched her, feeling guilty that he would soon have to wake her. Quickly he crossed the room and took a quill and parchment from a shelf next to the owl. He scrawled across the paper:

Malfoy,

Trying to convince her to feel kindly towards you is not the slightest bit easy. Serves you right for all the times you called her a mudblood you prick. I think I've convinced her to at least give you a chance, but this is Hermione we're talking about, she is not an easily persuaded woman.

I'm still not sure about doing this; I know that you care about her, but you were also a Death Eater for Merlin's sake. Hermione's my best friend and I don't want to see her get hurt. I'll remind you that Ron is also my best friend, and he loves Hermione. The only reason I'm even considering this is because I can tell she doesn't feel the same way about him.

You best not be fucking with me Ferret.

Harry Potter

Harry awakened the drowsy bird and tied the now sealed letter to her leg. She ruffled her pristinely white feathers at him disgustedly, but he merely whispered an apology and took her to the window. He hesitated for a moment and she looked at him hopefully, but to the owls disappointment he raised his arm, and she flew out the window, into the night.

* * *

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	2. Kissing your feet

For the past three weeks after the battle, the Hogwarts express had been leaving Hogsmeade for Kings Cross station and returning every Wednesday. This allowed students and teachers alike to return home as soon or as late as they chose, despite the fact that term had already ended. Construction had already begun on the castle, and Hermione was becoming rather frustrated with the feeling that she and Harry were getting in the way.

"We've been here for weeks now Harry! I need to stay somewhere else for a while, or I know I won't be able to appreciate coming back in September." She loved Hogwarts, but nearly everyone besides the reconstruction workers had left the castle now, and the last train to depart from Hogsmede was at 11 o'clock. "I had to go down to the kitchens and eat this morning with all the house elves- and I couldn't convince a single one of them to be set free!" she complained miserably.

"Time away from here would be great Hermione, except for the fact that we have nowhere to go" Harry replied. Hermione considered this, and he knew she was already hatching a plan.

"Well why don't we stay at The Leaky Cauldron for a few days… we have our supply lists now so we can buy all our school things?" she asked. In all honesty she could have just gone alone, but Hermione had spent so long with both Harry and Ron that she wasn't sure if she'd be able to function without at least one of them.

"Actually that's a pretty good idea, we could even meet up with Ron for a day or two. It would probably be good for him to get out of The Burrow for a little while…"

"Great! Well the train leaves in an hour so we better hurry" She hastened upstairs in the hope that she had successfully avoided talking about Ron. He had been sending her letters every couple of days and by the doting way he wrote, Hermione was pretty sure he felt they were in an actual relationship.

"Hermione…" Harry called as she was half-way up the staircase. She turned back to look at him as innocently as she could muster.

"Don't take this the wrong way… but I get the feeling you're not as in love with Ron as he thinks you are?" he asked tentatively. She sighed deeply, then explained the problem to her best friend.

"Well, it's not that I don't love Ron- I do, but I'm just not… in love with him. I think the adrenaline during the battle just got to me, and I was lonely you know? I feel so horrible…" she trailed off sadly. Harry crossed the room to her and wrapped her in a hug.

"It's alright… I mean you can't help the way you feel about someone. But I really think you should talk to him, it's not fair to let him carry on like this" he told her.

"I know, I will as soon as I see him. I just have to talk to him face to face." This seemed to satisfy Harry as he nodded and headed upstairs to his dorm to pack. Hermione lingered in the common room for a moment, then followed suit.

* * *

Several hours later, Harry and Hermione arrived at The Leaky Cauldron, hungry and tired. Naturally the pub was almost empty; Voldemort's death had called all families together in celebration, so they had no trouble getting a room each. As they sat down and enjoyed a late night meal, they laughed and joked with each other about what new and strange happenings might occur at Hogwarts this year.

"That's it now Hermione, McLaggen will be totally smitten after the Gryffindor princess helped defeat the Darkest Wizard of all time" Harry teased as she groaned with disgust. "Seriously though got your eye on anyone this year, seeing as it's not Ron?" he asked playfully.

"It sounds harsh but no Gryffindors," she laughed. "All the good ones are taken, and those that aren't are just… well desperate, A.K.A McLaggen."

Harry laughed. "What about a Slytherin then?" he joked, glancing at the door behind Hermione at someone who had just walked in. She was too tired to look so continued the conversation. "What you mean like Malfoy?" she snorted. "I think I'd rather spoon my own eyeballs out than have that slimy git as my boyfriend."

"Charming Granger, though me being you're boyfriend would actually require me to be able to even look at you, which is difficult at the best of times" came a sneer from behind her.

"Oh go disapparate off a cliff Malfoy" She didn't even have to turn around to know who it was.

"Potter you appear to have lost your boyfriend, where have you left Weaslebee?" he smirked down at the pair of them. Hermione had already had enough. It beyond irritated her that he just swanned in as if he was untouchable, after all that had happened.

"Grieving over his dead brother you stupid ferret, something you should remember all too well!" she snapped, finally tuning to face their enemy. Her expression softened slightly as she watched Malfoy's face distort somewhat with pain. However all of a sudden his expression hardened, and he grabbed Hermione by her shoulders forcefully, his face only inches from hers. Tiny hairs on her arm stood on end from the charge of emotions, and goosebumps rose across her skin. At this Harry stood and placed a warning hand on Malfoy's shoulder.

"Listen here Granger" he whispered venomously. "It's not all my fucking fault that all those people died, I might just remind you I never killed a single person."

Hermione gulped but the anger still remained inside her, "And I suppose you think that makes you some kind of saint don't you? You're a coward and a bully Malfoy, you're no better than any other Death Eater."

He released her slowly, shaking off Harry's hand, seemingly taken aback by the ferociousness of her words. "You never even for a second considered that I might actually regret all that shit I did, did you?"

A small pang of guilt coursed through her, but Hermione pushed it away."You just came straight in here and started throwing insults about!" She accused.

"So I can't just be repentant, I have to start kissing you're feet or something? Well sorry to disappoint, but I'd rather die than touch your mudblood skin." In a flash of emotion, Hermione's hand whipped up and slapped him hard across the face. Malfoy's hand shot up too and she shielded her face with her arms, thinking he was going to hit her back. Only Harry saw the pain on Malfoy's face as she shied away from him in fear. Slowly he rubbed the ruby mark on his cheek, watching regretfully as Hermione peeked through the gaps between her fingers.

"As if I would ever hit you Granger," he said softly.

"I wouldn't put it past you," she retorted.

At that he looked at her in anguish, turned, and walked away up the stairs to his room, leaving Hermione with an unwelcome sense of remorse that she had allowed her anger to get the better of her. There was just something about that man that heightened all her senses. Harry studied her; even he seemed shocked by her loss of control.

"I'm going to bed Harry, see you at breakfast," she muttered. He bid her goodnight, then watched as she trailed up the stairs with her head hung low. He shook his head at how quickly the situation had escalated between them.

Up in her room, Hermione tried desperately to push away the guilt she felt. "_For Merlin's sake Hermione, this is Draco Malfoy you're feeling dire about, why do you care?!"_ she asked herself. Unfortunately, that was a question she most definitely could not answer.


End file.
